Two of a Kind, One of Heart
by theplumlearner
Summary: Almost a year after Max's actions laid waste to Arcadia Bay, she and Chloe find themselves in the midst of the most Uncanny group of superheroes; the X-Men. As she learns about her unusual power, she will meet new friends and make enemies, but she is certain that one thing will never change. Her love for a certain blue-haired girl.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**

I, James Patterson, do not in any way, shape or form, own or profit from these stories. Life is Strange is the Property of Square Enix. X-Men: Evolution is the property of Marvel Comics. This story is purely for enjoyment only.

A Fan Fiction by James Patterson

ThePlumLearner

 _Two of a Kind, One of Hear_ t

Chapter One

"We've been discussing your experiences for some time now, Logan." The burly man sat in the large armchair in front of Charles Xavier's desk as the wheelchair-bound mutant spoke to him.

"Yeah, over half a year now." Logan nodded, his expression gruff, as it usually was. "How come you still don't know what happened to me?"

Xavier furrowed his brow. "It's not that we haven't found any leads- as a matter of fact, my search has yielded many results- I simply thought that you would find yourself more at ease if I excluded you from the search."

Logan eyed the man, cracking his knuckles before he spoke. "You _thought_?" He growled. "I'm not one of your students, Charles– I thought I was one of your precious _X-Men_."

"You _are,_ Logan, and that is exactly why I called you to my office, because it is time for the X-Men to get to work once again." Charles brushed away Logan's tone, straightening himself in his wheelchair. "In my search for your answers, I believe that I have discovered why you underwent such experiences, but before we proceed, I would like to go over your… symptoms one last time. I wish to be certain that my theory is correct." The professor followed with a pleading gaze, as if asking for Logan's cooperation, which was exactly what he was doing.

A heavy sigh was the response. "Just like every other time I've told you, 'bout eight months ago, there was a week where I… skipped through time." Logan shook his head. No matter how many times he told Xavier, he still felt childish for saying it.

"But it wasn't _really_ a week, isn't that right, Logan?"

A nod. "It was a week for you guys… I guess for everyone the world, but for me, I lived every moment, travelling back in time and being forced to relive the same week over and over. I was stuck in that damn loop for over a month!"

Xavier nodded and leaned back. "Thank you for cooperating Logan; I believe we are ready to proceed with the final step of our investigation."

"Are you sure? What happened to me?" Logan demanded.

The Professor examined the man's expressions from across the table. "Not what, Logan, but _whom_."

"Who? Logan arched an eyebrow, taken aback. "You mean a person did this?"

"A young woman, by the name of Maxine Caulfield."

"Chuck…" Logan was surprised. "I've never seen anyone that was able to do anything like this; are you sure?"

"Yes, Logan," One final nod from the Professor confirmed any doubt. "The cause of your experience with time is one of us. A mutant."

* * *

Max rolled over in the soft, queen-sized bed of the hotel room which she had been staying in for the past few days, stretching her arms above her head as she let out a fierce yawn. The early morning sun cut through the slits in the blinds, casting streaks of light across the room causing them to dance like fire. She rolled over to lie on her side, facing the figure that lay next to her. A kiss on the cheek and tight hug woke her partner from her slumber.

"Mm, damn, that's a hella good wake-up-call." Chloe smiled at Max, who was peering at her from over her shoulder.

"Well I'm glad you liked it." The brunette gave another smile before sitting up in bed, glancing at the calendar on their bedside table as Chloe rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Eight months ago their hometown, along with many of the people they had both known and loved, had been killed. All of them, whipped off the face of the earth by what was now called Hurricane Xenia; the largest storm in history to ever be recorded.

Max gazed out the window, her eyes fixing on a billboard across the busy street. _Remember Arcadia_ was printed across it in massive letters.

"Hey! I told you not to think about that shit, Max!" Chloe cupped Max's face in her hands when she realized what she was looking at, averting the troubled girl's gaze by resting their foreheads against each other.

"I... Wasn't." She tried to brush away the accusation, but the tattooed girl easily decrypted her lie.

"You made a choice, Max, one that saved my life; don't you _ever_ feel guilty for what you've done. People die all the time, this is no different." She gently kissed her, pulling away only when a shrill knock sounded on the door.

"Housekeeping!" A voice called through the thick door.

"Dammit," Chloe groaned, reluctantly sliding out of bed to answer the door. "Just when things were getting good…"

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Max asked, unable to stifle a laugh as she gestured to the blue-haired girl.

"Hmm?" Chloe looked down at herself, acknowledging the fact that she stood in nothing but her underwear. "Well I figured the cleaning lady might want to join us, you know?"

"Gross!" Max wrinkled her nose as she giggled. "Just throw this on, weirdo!" She tossed her a shirt, which had been lying crumpled on the floor. When the punk girl put it on, they were relieved to see that it extended far enough to hide an acceptable amount of Chloe's body.

"Damn Max, when did you start wearing such hella long shirts?" She grinned as she answered the door with a sarcastic salute. "Yo!"

The vacuum wielding woman smiled through the doorway, offering a quick sweep of the room. "It will only take a moment, dear,"

"Nah, we're cool here, thanks though," Chloe replied, closing the door as the woman smiled and made her way to the next room. "Now then, where were we?" She grinned mischievously as she crawled back into bed, straddling Max's waist as she pulled the shirt off and tossed it once again into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Beats me," Max smirked, gently sliding her hands along either side of Chloe's waist, gliding them down to her hips. "Why not just start here?"

The other girl moved so she was eye level with Max, kissing her lips. "Good enough for me." She reached around and unclasp Max's bra, letting it fall away.

Just then another knock rang from the door, drawing a disappointed sigh from Max– and a very loud cuss from Chloe. "Is there just no peace and quiet anymore?" She clambered out of bed and stomped over to the door, leaving the shirt behind this time. "I _said_ we're good here, lady!"

When the upset Chloe swung the door open, prepared bitch at the woman to her heart's content, she was surprised to see two, very un-cleaning lady-like people standing in the doorway. One was a slender, beautiful woman with chocolate skin and hair so white that it looked as though it was a wig, while the other was a short man with messy black hair, which curved into a thick beard.

"We interrupt something?" The man asked in a gruff voice, nodding in the direction of Max, who yelped and ducked under the covers as it dawned on her that she sat in sight of these people while she had nothing covering her chest.

"Yeah," Chloe put her hand on her hip defiantly. "That a problem?"

The man shrugged. "Little early in the day for that, don't ya' think?"

"Logan," The woman scolded the man as Chloe narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't think that's helping anything– would you go wait by the car, please?"

Logan locked eyes with Chloe as if saying _I'm watching_ you before turning away, and leaving the hotel.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Ororo Munroe, and that man was a colleague of mine." The woman replied. "I'm sorry if Logan seems… well,"

"Like a dick?" Chloe offered.

"I suppose that would be a suitable way of describing him– may I come in? I would like to talk to Miss Caulfield."

Max peeked out from the covers at the sound of her name, eyeing the woman cautiously. "How do you know who I am?"

"May I come in?" The woman repeated.

"Chloe, It's okay…" Max sat up in bed, using the sheets to cover her body.

"If you're sure…" Chloe stepped out of the way, going to sit next to Max as the woman took a seat in a chair across from them.

"How long has it been, Max?" Ororo asked. "When was the first time that you discovered your… abilities? Bending time isn't common, you know." A silence crept across the room, falling upon all three of the women.

"How… the hell do you know about that?" Max looked at the woman, a mix of shock and dread filling her expression. "Nobody but us knows about that!"

"I was sent here by a man named Charles Xavier, perhaps you know of him?"

"Yeah… I've heard of him,"

"Wait," Chloe cut in. "Do you mean that hella crazy guy on the news? The one who thinks that there are fucking _mutants_ hiding out in plain sight?"

"He doesn't just _think_ they exist; he knows that they do."

Now it was Max's turn to interject. "So what does any of that have to do with us?"

"Come now Max, you're smarter than that; I can tell that you already understand why I am here."

"Max?" Chloe nudged her elbow gently. "Are you okay?"

"I think… Does this mean that, I'm one of them?"

Ororo nodded. "Indeed, Max, how else would you be able to do what you do?"

"I don't understand… But at this point, nothing really can surprise me anymore." She gripped Chloe's hand tightly. "How do you know for sure?"

"We're fairly certain, but a simple blood test back at the school would tell us for sure." Standing, the woman continued. "What I am offering you, Max, is the opportunity to join Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. There, you will have the opportunity to learn everything you've never been able to understand about your abilities."

Chloe looked straight at Max, obviously uncertain about the offer. "Max, are you actually thinking about agreeing to this?" Chloe asked.

"It sounds like they can actually tell me what happened to me back in October!" Max hugged her. "But I can't leave you…" She turned to the woman. "I'm sorry, but Chloe and I are each other's top priority, we would never leave each other, not again."

"Hmm, I think that there will be no harm in Chloe coming along; I can clearly see that the fact that you are a mutant has no effect on her feelings for you." Ororo examined to two girls, who clearly showed surprise across their faces. "It will be good for the other children to interact with someone who isn't a mutant."

Max smile widely and looked at Chloe, who tried to hide a smile. Failing to do so, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I was always wanted to go to school again."

The two girls laughed, which in turn earned a smile from Ororo. "Pack your things please, I'll send Logan up to collect them, then we can be on our way." As she was leaving, the woman turned to face them. "Of course, given your clear level of intimacy, you will have to share _separate_ rooms." Both the girls let out a chorus of grumbles and complaints, but the woman was already out the door.

"Hey, it's okay," Max reasoned. "We can always sneak in to each other's rooms, right?"

Chloe grinned and gave her another kiss. "Damn, I'm such a hella bad influence on you, aren't I?"

Max smiled back as she intertwined their fingers together. "Maybe just a little."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**

I, James Patterson, do not in any way, shape or form, own or profit from these stories. Life is Strange is the Property of Square Enix. X-Men: Evolution is the property of Marvel Comics. This story is purely for enjoyment only.

A Fan Fiction by James Patterson

ThePlumLearner

 _Two of a Kind, One of Hear_ t

Chapter Two

Kitty Pryde was sitting at her desk, which was tucked away in the far corner of the bedroom that she shared with a particularly gloomy twenty-year-old. She shuffled through a mess of newspaper clippings and articles she had printed from the Internet, much to the distaste of her roommate.

"Are you stalking somebody again?"

Kitty gave an exasperated sigh, setting her clippings down. "I'm not, like, stalking anyone, Rogue– it's called _investigating!_ "

"Oh, of course, my bad," Rogue rolled her eyes as she absentmindedly browsed through her phone. "How could I have possible confused the two?"

Kitty frowned before turning back to her work. "Aren't you, like, the least bit curious about who this guy is?" She asked.

"Curious about who, exactly?" Rogue set her phone down, sitting up in her bed to look at the younger girl. The only response she got was a newspaper being thrown at her face. "Hey! Watch it, ya brat!"

"Sorry!"

Rogue scowled as she unfolded the paper. She didn't have to look hard for what Kitty wanted her to see; the front page was plastered with the headline ' _Spider-Man! Friend or Foe?_ '

"Is this what you've been wasting your whole summer on?" She flipped through the paper before looking at her roommate once again. That was when she noticed the blanket taped up to cover the post-it board, which was usually positioned over the desk. "Kitty… how long has that blanket been up there?"

"Hmm?" Kitty looked up, as if she herself had not noticed the blanket. "Oh, it's been there almost a week now – did you just figure out that it was there?"

"Yeah… What's it hiding?"

"Nothing important," Kitty assured her, waving her hand dismissively.

"Right…" Rogue stood up and marched over to Kitty, pulling the blanket down and tossing it out of the way. "Holy shit!"

On the board, which was previously covered by the blanket, was a complicated collection of pictures, articles and clippings all tied together by string to connect different facts that Kitty had collected. All of them relating to the recent appearance of the mysterious vigilante; Spider-Man. "Geez, thanks for asking!" Kitty pouted, slouching in her chair.

Rogue reassuringly patted the girl's shoulder. "Damn, girl; you need serious help."

"I know, I know," Just then Kitty's phone buzzed. She picked it up and read the incoming message. "Storm just texted me, she says that there's a new student arriving soon!" She jumped out of her chair, eager to divert the attention from her concerning project. "Lets go say hi!"

"Wait, Kitty!" Rogue called out as the girl darted through the wall and into the hallway. The Goth took one last look at the wall o' Spider-Man before following Kitty to the Grand Staircase.

"Storm!" Kitty grinned as she bounced down the stairs, coming to a halt in front of the woman. "Who's the newbie?"

"Why don't you meet her yourself? She and her friend are arguing with Logan by the car." Ororo smile as she waved at Rogue. "Would you like to go with Kitty and greet the newcomers?"

Rogue gave a quizzical look. "We've got two new mutants in one day? That's rare."

"There is only one mutant, Rogue; the other girl is a human." Ororo ignored the girls' confused looks and continued. "I'm sure you'll understand shortly– now go introduce yourselves."

"Alright, we're going!" Kitty grabbed Rogue's wrist, careful not to touch her skin as she drug her off in the direction of the garage.

* * *

Chloe was pissed. First, she had to put up with Logan taking loud, obnoxious sniffs every time they drove past a dog, and on top of that, now he wouldn't let her past him unless she forfeited her cigarettes. She stubborn girl let him know how she felt.

"Fuck you!" She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Hey, I don't make the rules, kid," Logan growled, gritting his teeth. "No smokes allowed in the Mansion, now hand 'em over."

Chloe responded by flipping Logan off. "No,"

"Listen, kid, we're in the same boat here, I gotta leave my cigars in the garage when I go into the school, so gimme a damn break!"

Max tugged on Chloe's sleeve. "Chloe, just give them to him, please?"

She looked at the shorter girl for a moment before letting out a groan. "Fine, fine," She fished around in her pockets for the cigarettes, slapping them into Logan's extended hand. "Happy?"

Logan eyed the cigarettes as he locked them in a small safe along with his own cigars. "Cheap brand," He grumbled.

"Suck it!" Chloe spat, overhearing his comment.

"Just saying kid, if you're gonna kill yourself, might as well enjoy yourself while you do." Logan shrugged and locked the safe with a key, which he tucked away in his wallet.

"Right, I'll remember that, " Chloe grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "C'mon Max,"

Max nodded, dragging her own bag along after her. "Wait up, Chloe!"

The girl looked over her shoulder at Max, who quickly caught up with her. "I know you hate the whole _authority figure_ concept, but couldn't you try to be a little nicer?" She gave Chloe a hopeful smile. "They are letting us live here, after all!"

The other girl sighed, slowing down to a normal pace. "Yeah, I know. I just get all fired up sometimes!"

Max laughed. "I think that's a bit of an understatement."

The two girls walked up the long driveway towards the school, rounding a corner– and bumping straight into another pair of girls. All four toppled to the ground, a chorus of groans filling the air.

"Hey!" Chloe snapped. "Watch where the hell you're going, will ya?"

"Oh my God!" One of the strangers gasped and helped Max to her feet. "I am _so_ sorry about that! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine thanks," max replied as Chloe and the other new girl stood.

"You must be the new students, right?" The first girl beamed. "OMG! I just _love_ your hair!"

Chloe carefully stepped around Max, putting her in-between herself and the girl. "What are you doing?" Max asked, looking over her shoulder at her.

"Crazy people make me nervous." She replied, eying the girl as she began speaking to Max.

"I love how you dress bad on _purpose_! You're totally boycotting a corrupt corporation, right? That's so cool–"

"Kitty ain't crazy, although she does seem like it sometimes." The second girl grabbed her friend by the back of her shirt, pulling her out of Max's personal bubble.

"Rogue!" Kitty complained. "That is like, _so_ not cool; I was saying hello!"

"Its good to meet you," Rogue continued, ignoring Kitty. "To be honest, I expected you to be just another valley girl or jock like half the other people here, but you look cool."

"Thanks," Max smiled as Chloe came out from behind her. "So, you're Rogue?"

"Yeah, and you've already met Kitty; she's a little crazy, but as long as you don't mention fashion around her she's alright."

"Nice to meet you; I'm max, and this is Chloe"

"Ooh, look at you, Rogue, being all social able for once!" Kitty beamed once again, giving Chloe the impression that she did so often. "Is it like, because she's a Goth, too?"

Rogue groaned. "Kitty, she isn't Goth. Not even close!"

Chloe had a look of annoyance on her face, identical to the one on Rogue's. "Rich chicks." She grumbled.

"No kidding!" Rogue nodded her agreement before steering the new students up the driveway. "Anyways, dinner should be soon, so why don't we get you settled into your rooms?"

"Sounds good to me," Max said."

"I'm down!" Chloe took Max's hand as they were herded towards the school.

Kitty followed at their heels, all four girls making their way into the school and up the stairs towards the girl's corridor. Rogue stopped at one of the doors, pushing it open.

"This is Jubilee's room. She's the most recent arrival before you, so one of you will be her room mate."

"I'll take it," Max dropped her bag on the empty bed as Rogue showed Chloe to another room.

"Here, Chloe, we've got an uneven number right now so you'll get a room all to yourself."

Chloe looked around room, examining the neatly made beds and blank walls. "It's gonna need some work before it feels like home, but it'll do." She turned to Rogue. "Thanks for the help, I owe you,"

Rogue smiled. "You're welcome. Dinner is at six, so come down once you've settled in."

"Will do!" She replied as the other girl exited the room. Chloe dropped her bag on the floor, leaning back until she fell onto on of the soft beds. "This place doesn't seem to bad…" She lay there for a few minutes, thinking to herself. She hadn't felt too welcome at Blackwell, but if she were lucky, this school would be different.

She really hoped that it would be different.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**

I, James Patterson, do not in any way, shape or form, own or profit from these stories. Life is Strange is the Property of Square Enix. X-Men: Evolution is the property of Marvel Comics. This story is purely for enjoyment only.

A Fan Fiction by James Patterson

ThePlumLearner

 _Two of a Kind, One of Hear_ t

Chapter Three

Bobby Drake was sitting with his friends in the dining room of the X-Mansion when he saw two unfamiliar girls enter from the doorway which lead to the dormitory staircase. He elbowed his nearest friend, Kurt, nodding in the direction of the two girls as they sat down at a table in the far corner of the dining room.

"New Students?" Kurt raised an eyebrow at his friend as his rubbed his ribs. "That doesn't seem like something that you needed to elbow me so hard over."

"C'mon, man, just look at them!" Bobby grinned.

"Yeah, I see what you're saying." Kurt shrugged and them mumbled. "I still don't think you needed to elbow me."

"I call dibs on the one with the blue hair, got it?" Bobby carefully fixed his hair. "She's totally my type!" He made to get up, but a firm hand on his shoulder held him in his seat.

Colossus towered menacingly over the boys at the table. "Who's your type?"

"Uh, nobody! Nobody!" Bobby tried to squirm out of the man's iron grasp. "C'mon man, we were just joking, right guys? "Bobby looked to his friends for backup, but they did not more than shoot him sympathetic looks.

"Hey, don't look at us," Kurt held his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "You did this to yourself."

Colossus sat in the chair next to bobby, giving the teenager air intense stare. "Women are not some candy lying on the ground for you to pick up!" He said sternly in his thick Russian accent, which had always intimidated Bobby. "Be respectful." He then let Bobby go, leaving the table.

"I almost feel bad for you," Kurt said, breaking the silence that had remained behind.

The boy heard a gruff chuckle and looked up to see Logan walking past the table. "That was smooth, ice cube," He said, sarcasm dripping from his words. It was obvious that he enjoyed seeing the petrified look on Bobby's face.

" _Almost_ ," Kurt tried to hold back a laugh, but failed, encouraging the rest of the boys at the table to all burst out in laughter together– all, of course, but Bobby.

* * *

Rogue sat down for dinner at the table where Max and Chloe were already seated, greeting the girls with a friendly smile. "Do either of you know what all the commotion is about?" She asked, gesturing to the table where the boys were laughing loudly at the expense of Bobby.

"All I know is that they're being hella annoying," Chloe grumbled.

"Relax, it's not like they're causing any problems." Max laughed and took Chloe's hand.

"I know, that's why I said they were annoying; is it a problem to think someone is annoying?" Chloe elbowed Max playfully.

"No, it's not,"

"You two look happy together," Rogue observed, smiling at the two girls.

"We are!" Chloe grinned and slipped her arm around Max's waist, pulling her girlfriend against her.

"How did I miss that?" Kitty seemed to appear out of nowhere, sitting down across from the two girls. She had another girl with her, who wore a bright yellow sweater and glasses with an orange tinge.

"What's this? A lesbian couple?" The girl asked. "I think this is the first time there's been one at the X-Mansion."

"Great, now I feel special." Max joked.

"How long have you been going out?" Kitty asked. "Is it serious?"

"Eight months." Chloe replied, to which Max added, "It's serious."

"Prove it," Jubilee smirked.

"What?" Max asked, confused.

"Prove that you're dating. Kiss!"

"Jubilee, try to be a little classier!" Kitty scolded her friend. "If you want to see them act all cute and stuff you have to, like, set the right mood–" She was caught off guard by the sight of Chloe suddenly holding Max's face and giving her a deep kiss.

Across the room the boy's table got loud again. "Damn! Must suck to be Bobby right now!"

Chloe ignored the boys and turned her attention the three girls sitting across from her. "Satisfied?" She said smugly as Max blushed deeply.

"Hey!" A gruff voice barked. _Logan_. The girls looked to see the short man frowning at them from where he was leaning against a wall with a beer in his hand. "Not at the table!"

"Chloe gave him a fake apologetic wave. "Sorry! I'll try to keep it in my pants from now on,"

Logan chuckled at this response before returning his attention to his beer. The girls laughed together, trying to keep it relatively quiet.

"Logan may be a kill joy, but he's by far the coolest adult here!" Kitty grinned to her friends.

"Where did he get the beer?" Chloe demanded. "I need to get my hands on it!"

"It's non-alcoholic," Rogue explained.

"Yeah," Jubilee added. "The professor doesn't allow alcohol in the school–cigarettes either,"

"Go figure," Chloe grumbled, still a little miffed about her confiscated smokes.

"Well it _is_ a school, Chloe," Max reasoned.

"And this is why I dropped out of high school!"

"You were expelled."

"Wait, how long have you known about that?" Chloe gave Max a weary look.

"Since we broke into the principal's office at Blackwell." Max gave a guilty shrug.

"You too broke into the principal's office?" Jubilee grinned. "That's pretty badass,"

Kitty shushed Jubilee with a wave of her hand. "So where did you guys live before coming here?"

"I guess you could say we've been on move." Max said. "We haven't really been in one place for more than a few days."

"Did you not have anywhere to go?"

"My parents live in Seattle, but I don't think I'm ready to see them just yet…" Max's face fell, thinking of her parents and how worried they must be. She felt too guilty of the destruction of Arcadia Bay to face them.

"I know what you mean," Rogue sympathized with the girl. "My parents flipped when they found out I was a mutant; they kicked me out of the house!"

"Mine tried to _ground_ me!" Kitty added. The girls all laughed at this, thankful to be rid of the gloomy mood.

"I have the best idea!" Jubilee jumped to her feet, startling the others. "Lets have a sleepover!"

"No offense," Chloe said. "But I'm not exactly the 'stay up all night and paint your nails' type."

Rogue nodded in agreement. "I'm out,"

Kitty turned to Max with a pleading look. "What about you, Max? _Please_?"

Max glanced at Chloe. "It doesn't sound like such a bad idea," She gave a sheepish smile.

Chloe looked back at her for a moment before throwing her hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright!" She huffed a heavy sigh and slouched on the bench, nearly disappearing under the table. "We'll have a damn sleepover, _ok_?" Chloe's grumpy response resulted in more laughter from the girls.

Kitty grinned and rubbed her hands together maniacally. "I knew you'd come around."

* * *

It was getting dark as Max Dillon carefully climbed up an old wooden telephone pole, careful not to drop his satchel full of tools. He was a repairman for the city, meaning that he was often climbing up poles like this one, but rarely in such conditions. Even for the late hour, the sky was darker than usual as heavy, black storm clouds rolled in.

"Hey Max, let's get the repairs done fast a'ight?" Max's friend and coworker, Stanley, called from the ground below. "This storm came outta nowhere!"

"You don't need to rush me, Stan," He shouted back as he reached the top of the pole, where he opened up the electrical panel. "Okay, I'm up! Shut down the power now."

Stan reached for his radio, using his hand to shield the mouthpiece from the strong wind that was blowing. "Substation Three, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Stan," A garbled voice replied over the radio. "You fellas know there's a storm comin', right?"

"Don't worry about us, just shut down the power in Salem Center, ok?"

"Alright, be careful,"

"Aren't we always?" Stan joked into the radio as he waited for the all clear.

"Power is down; you boys can get to work."

Stan gave Max a big thumbs-up. "Powers down, you can get started now!"

Max hummed to himself as he tinkered it the mess of wires inside the electrical box, smiling to himself as he shut the box and packed up his tools. "Okay Stan, I'm coming down–"

A blinding light filled the sky as lighten arched down and struck Max, severing his safety harness and sending him flying from the telephone pole. He landed several yards away, his body smoking from the energy that had just coursed through him.

"Max!" Stanley rushed over to his friend, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?" He reached down to shake his shoulder, an arc of blue electricity firing from Max's unconscious body and striking the man directly in the chest. He fell backwards into the dirt, gasping in pain as his insides were burnt from the shock.

"Stan, what happened?" The voice on the radio asked. "Stan, is Dillon okay? Stan?"

No answer came from Stan for he lay still on the ground, dead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**

I, James Patterson, do not in any way, shape or form, own or profit from these stories. Life is Strange is the Property of Square Enix. X-Men: Evolution is the property of Marvel Comics. This story is purely for enjoyment only.

 **Author's Note:** For this latest chapter, I am afraid to say that the people who I usually have critique and revise my writing were unavailable. Due to this obstacle, I have decided to upload the raw version now and update it once revisions have been made. That being said, I will continue to work on the next chapters while I wait for the return of my guinea pigs– I mean, _helpers_. Until next time, enjoy!

A Fan Fiction by James Patterson

ThePlumLearner

 _Two of a Kind, One of Hear_ t

Chapter Four

Chloe lounged in her bed, lying on her stomach as she listening to music, blasting heavy grunge through her ear buds. She almost didn't hear the knock on the door for her music nearly drowned everything out, but she stood up and moved towards the door, reaching for the handle. She paused and looked down at herself. She was wearing nothing but her underwear– she decided that she'd best stop the habit.

"One second!" She grabbed a shirt from her still packed suitcase, throwing it on. It didn't go down as far as she would have liked as it didn't complete conceal her underwear, but it would have to do. She opened the door, peering around it as she used it for some more cover. "Hello?"

"Chloe," Kitty frowned, her hands on her hips. "You forgot about the sleepover!"

"No I didn't,"

"Then how come you didn't show up at eight?" Kitty stared at the girl accusingly.

Chloe looked over her shoulder at the large clock on the far wall of her room, which read _8:06_. "You're mad over six minutes?"

"Six minutes that we could have been having the time of our lives!" Kitty grabbed Chloe's hand, pulling her through the door and the far wall of the hallway, ignoring her protests, as she was drug through several other rooms until they arrived in Jubilee's.

"What the hell was that?" Chloe snapped at Kitty, surprising Rogue, Max and another girl who she didn't recognize.

"What?" Kitty pouted. "That was my power,"

"No," Chloe waved her hand dismissively. "Not that; you just pulled me through _three_ rooms. Rooms that belonged to _guys_ , who have now seen me in my underwear!"

Kitty looked at Chloe with a strange look on her face; as if she had only just realized what she was wearing. "Oh," She grinned sheepishly. " _Sorry?_ "

From where the others were watching the commotion, it looked as though Chloe was about to strangle the small girl.

"I'm sure it was an accident," Max said, pulling Chloe away from the frightened girl. "Take it easy, Chloe."

"Fine," Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, looking around. She noticed that the other girl where wearing their pajamas, except for max, who was just wearing short shorts and a T-shirt that said _there's no place like_ on the front.

"Is it weird that I didn't know that people actually wore pajamas like this?" Chloe asked Max as they examined the variety of fluffy, cotton onesies, pajama bottoms and T-shirts. Even Rogue was wearing a pair of black skull and crossbones pajamas.

Max shrugged. "I used to wear stuff like this at night; haven't since we left Arcadia."

"You left everything you owned at Blackwell," Chloe remembered.

Max nodded, looking down at the floor. When the hurricane had torn through Arcadia Bay, she felt horrible; all she wanted to do was leave as fast as she possibly could. Leave, and never come back.

"Don't worry about that," Chloe took Max's hand and squeezed it reassuringly, smiling warmly at her. "I'll drive you to the mall sometime, ok? You can buy all the nerdy clothes you want!"

Max smiled, giggling. "That sounds fun!"

Chloe smiled back, until suddenly her face fell into a frown. " _Drive!_ " She groaned and flopped back on the bed, slapping her palm to her face. "I'm an idiot."

"What's wrong?" Max scooted further onto the bed and looked down at Chloe.

"I just realized," Chloe sighed and sat up. "We were so caught up in the idea of coming here, that I totally forgot about my truck!"

"Oh, yeah," Max grinned sheepishly. "I forgot about that too…"

"Man, this is gonna hella suck; that hotel was in another state!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure that if we ask Ororo nicely she'll get Logan to drive you down to pick it up." Max reassured her.

"Yeah," Chloe nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right; I'm sure she'll understand."

"She will," Max agreed. "Oh, and I'll tag along, too. Just so you don't get lonely."

"Thanks Max," Chloe hugged her, kissing her.

"You're welcome," She smiled into Chloe's lips, playfully twisting a strand of her blue hair between her fingertips.

Stifled giggles brought the pair back to reality. A reality that happened to consist of several girls grinning stupidly at them– even Rogue had an amused smirk on her face.

"Geez," Jubilee snickered. "Get a room, you two!"

Chloe threw a pillow at the girl, hitting her square in the face. "When the hell did _you_ show up, anyways?"

"She came in when you to were practicing mouth-to-mouth." Kitty laughed. "Really, you too get so caught up in each other sometimes– it's so cute!" She was met by the same fate as Jubilee; a pillow directly to the face.

The unfamiliar girl laughed as Kitty tumbled back onto the floor. "You deserved that,"

"Shut up, Jean!" Kitty pouted, drawing more laughter from the girls.

"Jean Grey," The girl introduced herself, giving the new students a friendly smile.

"I'm max,"

"Chloe,"

"It's nice to meet you both," Jean sat on the bed across from them. "So which of you is the human?"

"That'd be me!" Chloe jabbed her thumb proudly at her chest.

"So what's your power, then?" Jubilee jumped back into the fray, looking at Max.

"Well…" Max scratched the back of her head. "I _used_ to be able to rewind time."

"Don't be shy about it," Jean said. "Most of the students here have trouble controlling their powers or using them at will; Professor Xavier will teach you about your powers.

"To be honest…" Max swallowed a lump in her throat. "I came here because I want to understand my abilities; I have no intention of ever using them again."

The girls in the room sat around them, joining the conversation.

"Why not?" Kitty asked.

Max started feeling uncomfortable from the questions. "Some things happened because of me. Thing's most people would think are horrible– but I wouldn't change anything." She wrung her hands nervously.

"Alright," Rogue cut in. "I think that's enough; don't hassle her about things she clearly doesn't want to talk about."

"She's right, everybody back it up!" Jean shooed away Kitty and Jubilee so that Max could have a little breathing room.

Chloe put her arm around Max, reassuringly kissing her cheek. "Cheer up, okay?"

Max nodded, leaning into Chloe. "Thanks, Chloe, I appreciate it,"

* * *

Logan was walking the school grounds when it started raining. He had been laying his bed until only moments earlier, but when the time came for the students to prepare for bed he couldn't stand to stay indoors. The smells of all the perfume and aftershave filled his nostrils, striking his extraordinary sense of smell like a heavy blow. Because of this he often found himself walking out doors at this time of day, no matter what the weather may be like.

When he had lived up in the Canadian Rockies he had always loved the rain; the smell of freshly wet dirt the cleanliness that the falling water brought– but here there was none of that. The New York skies gave birth to only foul rains that were tainted by pollution. Despite this, he still preferred it to the overpowering smell inside the X Mansion.

The burly man fished around in his pockets and removed a small box of cigars and a worn down cutter, the both of which he had retrieved from the garage safe. He selected a cigar, returning the rest to his pocket before severing the end of the one that remained. Striking a match and igniting the cigar, he held it between his teeth as he inhaled the cloud of smoke. There were a few short moments where he could feel the calming effect of the chemicals that he was forcing into his lungs before his healing factor quickly flushed the toxins out, returning him to a state of unsettling alertness. This was how he often felt; as if constantly on the lookout for danger.

A flash of lightning in the distance caught his attention. Logan watched as the Mansion went dark from loss of power. "Must've overloaded the breakers…" He mumbled to himself through his cigar. He sighed and snuffed the cigar out by grinding the end into his palm, returning it to its brethren once the heat and embers had died. He marched up to the front doors of the Mansion, pushing them open has he stepped into the foyer, which was full of anxious students scrambling about.

Logan stopped a student that was moving past him, "Hey, the power just went out– go back to your room." He repeated himself to the rest of the crowd, eventually clearing the halls as they returned to their rooms.

"Excuse me?" A voice said from behind him.

Logan turned to see one of the new girls standing there. Max, he recalled. "Hey, kid, it's just a power outage; head back to bed,"

"Could I talk to you for a second?"

He paused before nodding gruffly. "Sure."

The girl sat down on a nearby bench, tucking her legs underneath her. "You're a mutant too… right?" She asked.

Sitting down on the bench next to her, Logan spoke. "Yeah," He nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"You have a look about you… One I've seen before," She began. "Chloe is similar; you both have the aura of a person who has lost so much."

Logan shifted in his seat but said nothing.

"There's something else about you though– something that I also think is familiar– something familiar to myself," max sighed heavily. "You blame yourself, don't you?"

Logan coughed, caught off guard by the girl's question. "What do you mean?"

"You remind me of myself– I'm not sure why exactly, but I can tell…"

"Listen, kid, I don't know what you're–"

"Does it ever get easier?" A slender tear fell down her cheek, silencing Logan. "Do you ever stop blaming yourself?"

Logan looked at the girl as she held back sobs. "No," he sighed. "It doesn't. But whatever it is that you seem to be blaming yourself over– don't." Logan ruffled up her hair. "I've been through a lot, kid, and if there is one thing that I have learnt, its that shit happens. "Sometimes you can make things right in some way, but more often than not you'll be stuck with the consequences, or just make things worse. If you let them get the better of you, you'll only set yourself up for more pain– trust me, I've been down that road."

Max wiped away her tears and looked up. "That sound's like something Chloe would say; thank you." She hugged him tightly before asking another question. "Do you dislike Chloe? I know she's been giving you a hard time ever since you two met, but she's really not a bad person."

Logan chuckled. "Nah, I ain't got nothing wrong with her. As a matter of fact, she doesn't seem half bad– she's got spunk; like she could hold her own in a fight. Not many people here just come with that trait."

Max smiled. "Yeah, she prides herself in her tough act."

Logan stood up. "She's a lone human in a house full of mutants– take care of her and she'll do the same."

"Thanks, I will."

"You should get going kid, it's getting late– stay up much longer and you'll miss your sleep over."

Max gave him a quizzical look. "How do you know about that?"

"These ears pick up just about everything within ten miles." Logan let out a harsh laugh. "It may seem weird for you– trust me it's worse on my end; some things I _don't_ wanna know."

Max laughed as Logan marched away. She stood up and made her way back to her room, thinking about their conversation. She knew that of all the people she had met today, she had made one _real_ friend. She only hoped that he and Chloe would start to get along.


	5. Chapter 5

It was dark when Max Dillon awoke, the first thing he noticed was the ringing in his ears. He shouted out in alarm, yet heard only one thing echoing around in his head. Ringing. He desperate lunged upward in an attempt to sit upright, only to find himself in restraints, his arms folded across his chest and bound by a cold leather strap. His legs and torso held in place by additional straps.

 _Let me out!_ He screamed, still unable to hear anything but that god awful noise– but someone must have heard him, for a figure now stood above him. They gestured to someone out of Max's line of sight, and soon another body stood by him, a mere silhouette against the bright lights that shone down upon the helpless man. A sharp pain pricked him in the side of the neck, leaving him bewildered and dazed.

"I said, 'can you hear me,' Maxwell?" A voice slowly drifted through the air.

"Who… are you?" Max felt relief, at last able to hear once again– but the relief was washed away almost immediately when the voice continued to speak.

"My name is not important," the owner of the voice waved his hand dismissively. Max could tell that it was a man from the tone of his voice. "What _is_ important is how you survived your little incident. In my research, I discovered that the amount of energy that coursed through you should have left nothing but a pile of ash!" The figure sounded excited. "You are very special, my friend, and I will find out what makes you so."

"What, you're going to pick me apart or something?" Maxwell felt himself tugging against the restraints again.

"No," The figured grinned widely down at him. "I am going to give you the tools you need!"

"Tools…" Max furrowed his eyebrows. "What for?"

"To make you powerful, of course!" The figure let out an eerie laugh before sliding a syringe into Max's arm. "Now, rest up so that we may begin once I have finished preparations."

Max tried to protest, but he felt his body growing heavy– unable to object as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Max Caulfield sat in the passenger of Chloe's truck, tapping her fingers against the dashboard in time with the music that was gently humming over the radio. She looked at Chloe, who had her elbow against the car door, using her hand to prop up her chin as she drove with one hand. The two girls were on their way back from retrieving Chloe's truck, thanks to the aid of Logan, who drove them back to the Hotel they had previously been staying at.

Max enjoyed times like this, driving on country highways with nothing but Chloe's company. They had gotten used to this routine in the past months, as they spent the majority of their time on the road.

"You okay?"

Max looked at Chloe, to see that the girl was giving her a concerned expression. "Yeah, I'm fine; just a little overwhelmed lately– what with everything that has been going on."

Chloe gave an understanding nod. "Being suddenly invited into a community full of super power-wielding teenagers would set anybody off the edge, y'know?" She switched hands on the wheel so that she could take Chloe's hand. "But you'll settle it hella fast, so don't worry, ok?"

Max smiled and squeezed her hand. "Ok."

Chloe smiled back before glancing at her side mirrors. "You know what, I have an idea that might cheer you up!" She found a rest stop, pulling off the main road and coasting to a stop on the gravel path. A blue minivan pulled up alongside them, rolling down the window to reveal Logan.

"What the hell are you doing?" He grumbled, obviously unimpressed.

"Just letting you know that I'm taking Max into New York for a while okay? I thought it would be good for her to let off a little steam,"

Logan eyed the two girls for a second before rolling his eyes and shifting the van back into gear. "Make sure you get your asses back to the school before dinner, alright?"

"Sure thing!" Chloe grinned and gave him a cheeky thumbs-up as she started rolling up the window.

"Oh, before you go, take this." Logan tossed a small flip phone through their window, landing on Chloe's lap. "It's unlikely that you'll need it, but just in case something happens the school's phone number is on it."

"Yeah, yeah, ok! Bye," Chloe waved sarcastically as she pulled out of the rest stop and into the exit that marked the entrance to New York. "I wonder why he still uses a flip phone."

"He doesn't exactly strike me as being tech-savvy," Max replied. "He seems like he's from the 60's, maybe he never grew out of a phase?"

"The sixties? No way dude!" Chloe laughed. "He can't be any older than thirty– _maybe_ forty."

"Hey, I'm just pointing out the facts," Max smiled and raised her hands up in a passive gesture. "Hair oil, big boots, Harley Davidson parked in the garage– it all adds up."

"Damn, Max," Chloe grinned wide. "I didn't know you were so into older guys!"

Max slapped Chloe's shoulder playfully. "You know better than that!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Chloe smirked. "You're _hella_ gay!"

"Undeniably so,"

"But only for me, of course,"

The two girls burst out in laughter as they cruised down the highway. Max smiled and leaned back in her seat as she looked at passing cars. "Where are we going?"

"For a drive," Chloe replied.

Max gave a puzzled look before they came over the crest of a hill, revealing a vast, beautiful view of the New York coastline as they drove down the highway. She took a deep intake of breath, stunned by the sight before her. "It looks so beautiful…" Max stared intensely at the horizon.

"I thought you'd like it." Chloe smiled, taking in Max's expression.

"You know me too well," Max grinned and kissed Chloe on the cheek. "Thank you,"

"Why, you are _quite_ welcome" Chloe smiled smugly as they pulled back onto the road that led to the Mansion. "Sorry we couldn't stop at the beach or anything, but Logan will kill us if we are late."

"Chloe Price, are you accepting a curfew?" Max teased.

"No!" Chloe defended herself, feigning a look of innocence. "I just don't want to be assigned to chore duty for being late!"

The two girls laughed as they entered the neighborhood, still smiling as they pulled into the school's driveway.


	6. Chapter 6

Two of a Kind, One of Heart

Chapter Six

Chloe frowned at the young valley girl, who happened to be bustling around the large living room of the X-Mansion, waving her hands wildly while she went on about something uninteresting. The blue haired girl didn't bother hiding her boredom from the other; she was too concerned with whatever she was rambling on about to notice this behavior. To be honest, the only human in the school was bored.

Every day after breakfast, Logan would take Max down to the lower levels of the school to work on her training. Now, Chloe had never been to the lower levels, but she had heard all kinds of stories from Max and the students; apparently it was some kind of high-tech facility. As interesting as this sounded, she wasn't allowed to venture down to find out for herself. Although she had tried many times, she would always find herself bumping into Logan, who would be waiting at the bottom of the elevator.

"How do you even know I'm coming?" She grumbled as he escorted her back up to the school's main level, holding her arm tightly so that there was no chance of her making a run for it.

"You're in a house full of mutants, kid," he laughed gruffly. "Expect to find yourself outmatched."

There was another time when Chloe had just seen Logan out in the courtyard, busy breaking up a scuffle between bobby and another boy. With his hands full, the mischievous girl thought she had the perfect opportunity to sneak down the elevator and explore the Lower levels, but when she bolted for the elevator she found here path blocked by an all too familiar figure.

"Fuck!" She groaned, skidding to a halt in front of Logan. "I give up!" She threw her hands up in defeat. "I don't know how the hell you got here so fast."

Logan gave a satisfied smirk. "Know your surroundings, kid."

Chloe threw him a few crude hand gestures before leaving the way she came.

"Chloe, did you hear anything I just said?"

"What?" Chloe looked up to see Kitty staring straight in her face. "Hey; back it up there, pal; you're hella close!"

Kitty took a step back, frowning. "I take that as a no…"

"What where you talking about again?" Chloe didn't even bother hiding the yawn that she revealed.

"The power outages all over the city, remember?" The girl sighed heavily. "Every time a substation blows out; this person appears near the scene." Kitty tossed a newspaper in Chloe's lap.

Chloe examined the image on the front page, raising an eyebrow at the snapshot of a figure clad in red and blue spandex as they swung through the air from some kind of rope. "You think this circus act is responsible for the outages?"

"Of course not! This is Spider-Man!" Kitty explained frantically. "He's, like, one of the heroes!"

Chloe gave her friend a skeptical look, holding back a laugh. " _Spider-Man_?"

"What's so funny?" Kitty shot the older girl an accusing look as she took the newspaper back. She tenderly folded it in half before returning it to the file folder from whence came.

"It's the name," Chloe replied, spreading her hands out, gesturing that this was obvious. "Spider-Man doesn't sound intimidating at all! Why couldn't the guy have chosen something as cool as Logan or Piotr's codename?"

"Spider-Man isn't supposed to instill fear," Kitty retorted, waggling her finger at Chloe. "It's supposed to give people hope!"

Chloe simply shrugged. "Alright, alright. All I'm saying is that he could have chosen something better, like Dare-Devil – or what about the _Scarlet Spider_? That one doesn't sound so bad!"

Kitty sighed once again, crossing her arms. "I think that first one is taken, but the second doesn't sound too bad…"

"See?" Chloe grinned. "I knew you'd come around!"

"You two discussing something interesting?" The two girls turned to see Rogue and Jean peeking their heads through the doorway.

"Just trying to figure out the _biggest_ mystery of the century!" Kitty exclaimed.

Rogue rolled her eyes as she and Jean entered the room and sat down on the edge of the couch next to Chloe. "Somehow I doubt that," The southern girl mumbled.

Ignoring Rogue's comment, Kitty turned to Jean. "How was the Danger room session?"

"It went well," Jean said slowly. "Max is doing well."

Chloe eyed her suspiciously. "You don't sound so sure; what's the matter? Is Max doing okay?"

"It's really not my place to discuss other students progress, Chloe," Jean replied. "Sorry, but you should ask her yourself if you want to know."

Chloe nodded slowly, then stood and made for the door. "Okay, you guys humor Kitty's ramblings, I'm gonna find Max."

Kitty immediately began explaining her findings to the other girls as Chloe left to room, leaving her friends to suffer through an onslaught of fan-girl propaganda.

Max stood in the center of a circular room, her hands by her side and she closed her eyes and took deep, calming breaths. Besides a few items, the room was completely bare; a metal table with a green button buried in its surface and a glass of water next to it sat against the far wall, a large digital clock set in the wall just above it.

"Alright Max, are you ready?" The professor asked, rolling up next to her in his wheelchair.

Max nodded, opening her eyes. "I'm ready.

"We've spent the weeks since you arrived teaching you to calm your mind– to focus. In practical use, this will allow you control your powers with less effort." The professor explained. "This should prevent your nosebleeds, which were likely caused by straining your mind when using your powers."

"What about the doomsday hurricane?" Max asked, the professor being the only person in the mansion– besides Logan, Storm and Chloe– who knew about her connection the destruction of her hometown. "Won't we be risking a repeat of Acadia Bay?"

"Ah, yes; I'm glad you asked." The bald man reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small bracelet. Attached to the bracelet was a small charm in the shape of a deer, which had a small red gem in the center that seemed to almot be glowing.

"It's beautiful…" Max took it and fastened it around her wrist. The moment the clasp was latched she felt a strange wave of nausea pass over her body before fading as quickly as it had come. "Whoa– what just happened?"

The professor gave a sly smile. "The charm you are now wearing is much more than it appears; It is a creation of another student at the mansion– quite a brilliant mind! It serves as a form of inhibitor chip which will allow you to use your powers to their full extent– without activating another storm."

"That's possible?" Max asked, amazed at the promises of this tiny piece of technology."

"Yes, quite," Xavier nodded, leaning back in his chair. "The things we can do with science are incredible, and the possibilities are endless. Now then, would you like to try to use your powers?"

Shrugging, max turned to look at the table. "I'm probably a little rusty– its been a year since I've used them."

"Don't worry; well start off simple. Why don't you walk to the table and push the button– you don't need to use your powers this time, we just need to set a standard time to compare to later tests. The clock with start timing you as soon as you cross the starting line"

Max stepped forward off of the red line– which was painted across the floor where she was standing– and walked down to the table, pressing the button when she reached it. The clock stopped at 7.283 seconds.

"Now come back," Max made her way back to the line, looking at the professor for the next instruction.

"Now that we've set a baseline, I want you to lower that time– without running." The professor explained. "Move at the same pace you just did, but find a way to beat that clock, understand?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, I think I've got an idea."

"Excellent– whenever you are ready, Max."

Taking a deep breath, Max stepped across the red line. Instantly she could see the milliseconds of the clock slowing down, reaching a time of 6.852 seconds. She repeated this same exercise many times, until she looked up to see the clock stopped at zero seconds. She put her hand to her forehead, expecting to feel as though she were about to pass out, but her thoughts remained clear.

"You are doing very well, Max!" The professor congratulated her from across the room. "How is the inhibitor working?"

"It's amazing!" she grinned. "I feel great– that never happens after using my powers."

"That is wonderful news!" The professor smiled warmly. "Let move on to the next exercise."

After carefully listening to the Professor's instructions, Max stepped across the line, watching the clock just to be sure– which remained at zero. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked forward to see the professor frozen in time. It was slightly eerie, but nowhere near as cool as it felt. Upon reaching the table, rather than pressing the button she reached for the glass of water, lifting it up and turning it upside down. She drew the cup further upwards, leaving the water suspended in midair in the shape of the glass that it had previously been held in. After examining the water in fascination, Max scooped the water back into the glass and set it _upside down_ on the table, trapping the water. She then pushed the button and walked back to the professor's side before releasing time.

"Done!" Max grinned proudly.

"Excellent work, Max!" The professor praised her upon seeing the capsized glass before turning and moving towards the room's exit. "I think that we are done for the day; you've earned yourself a well-deserved break."

"Thank you, professor." Max replied as she followed the professor out, very proud of her success today.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**

I, James Patterson, do not in any way, shape or form, own or profit from these stories. Life is Strange is the Property of Square Enix. X-Men: Evolution is the property of Marvel Comics. This story is purely for enjoyment only.

 **Author's Note:** I apologize for the wait, but here is the next chapter. Please leave and comments you have.

A Fan Fiction by James Patterson

ThePlumLearner

 _Two of a Kind, One of Hear_ t

Chapter Three

Max Dillon stood atop the roof of a tall building, which overlooked the bright New York skyline. Below him stretched a large expanse of tesla coils and junction boxes, which provided the city with much of its electricity. Much in the same way that electricity would power a light, Max had discovered how to use it to power himself, using the energy to perform great feats. In the past month since he had unlocked his powers, he had broken into a high-security facility and stolen several millions worth in scientific equipment. Despite this, he had no interest in their value– all he cared about is what they could do to him.

"Are you sure this will work?" He asked, amused as he watched men in black suits unload the stolen cargo from a van and carry it through the parking garage an into the lab which had been serving as his hideout.

"Of course, my friend!" Replied a man in a long lab coat. It was the scientist that was present when Max first awoke after being struck by lightning. "You are not the first to undergo such procedure; I performed this on an old colleague of mine."

"Who is he?" Max asked.

"Unfortunately, he died not long after the experiment."

"I thought you said these machines would work!" Max growled.

"They did, and they will!" The scientist replied as he followed the equipment into the lab. "My associate, Doctor Kragov, was not killed by the transformation that he underwent; He was killed by an affiliate of _SHEILD_." The man spat on the ground in disgust as he spoke.

"Someone killed him?" Max followed the man closely. "You said this would make me stronger!"

The scientist sighed before turning to face the man. "Listen, Mr. Dillon; The experiment was a success, but late Dr. Kragov was no more than a man when he underwent the process. Even with his enhancements he was not strong enough to defeat the _hero_ who killed him. You, however… you are no _normal_ man; you are able to control electricity without any medical alteration at all! My machines will make you unstoppable!"

Max eyed the man. "Who killed Kragov?"

The scientist clenched his jaw tightly. "That is not important right now."

Max growled menacingly. "I have no intention of ending of like Kragov; when you've made me strong enough, I'm taking my powers for a trial run to prove that I'm stronger than the man before me."

"Then I will grant you that information when the time comes! Now, before we can do so, we still need one last piece of technology." The man explained. "It has recently come to my attention that a prototype device has been developed in secret, designed for the purpose of stabilizing potentially insecure powers. This will be vital in ensuring that you do not _overload_."

"Whatever _that_ means," Max cracked his knuckles as a sign of confidence in his ability to retrieve the tech. "Where is it?"

"Unfortunately I do not know. In order to discover the location, you will have to draw them out and follow them back to their hiding place. There I am certain you will find the technology we need.

"Draw them out how?"

The man grinned wickedly. "Nothing attracts the attention of these _idealists_ more than the harm the innocent."

Logan sat on a cinderblock just outside of the garage as he smoked a fresh Cohiba Cigar– one of his creature comforts– as he flipped idly through the newspaper. He grunted in disappointment at almost every headline or picture that he came across; they were all about horrible events that were taking place. "What's this bull?" He grumbled to himself, searching vigorously through the headlines, some of which he found amusing. " _Domino_ … _Oscorp's Hidden Agenda_ … Oh, this one is good, ' _Jackpot'_ ; yet _another_ vigilante. What ever happened the sports section?" He tossed the paper down into the dirt in disgust, taking a deep breath of smoke from his cigar.

Just as he was about to stand up, a headline caught his eye. He picked it up, examining it, concern growing within him as he did. The burly man tossed his cigar and stomped on it– usually he would have carefully saved the cigar for later, but he had more important things to do than preserve his Cohibas. He stormed into the mansion and made a beeline for the Professor's office. Bursting through the heavy oak door, he slapped the paper down in front of the Professor. "Chuck," He growled. "We've got a problem!"

Xavier looked up from the novel he had been reading to see Logan pointing at the paper. "What is the matter, Logan?" He looked at the paper, and immediately understood. In bold print were the words _Mutant Hunter in Manhattan?_

"Like I said," Logan repeated. "We've got a problem."

Chloe was sitting on the couch with Max beside her, whose legs were laid across the blue-haired girl's lap as they held hands. It had a week since Max's successful session in the danger room, and already she had begun to feel more at ease with her abilities. When she first discovered that she could not only control time, but change it– she had been both amazing and terrified. Now, with the assurance of the inhibitor given to her by the Professor, she felt relieved that she would be able to learn to better use her powers– without the risk of a repeat of Acadia bay.

Chloe gently traced her fingers across the bracelet, examining the gem laid into the deer. "It seems so unreal that such a tiny little thing could control something so powerful. Makes me feel stupid."

Max sat up and gave Chloe a concerned look. "What do you mean?"

"Just think about it, Max; if we had this little charm back at Acadia Bay, just imagine." She sighed. "We were so foolish even just a few months ago– we had no idea the degree of what we were dealing with."

Max sat silently, unsure what to say. As they sat in silence for a brief few seconds, a large shadow was suddenly cast across them. The two girls looked up to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with chiseled muscles and a military-style haircut standing next to them.

"Questioning past actions, are we?" He asked.

"Oh, hey Piotr," Max waved. "I guess you could say that…"

The Russian man pulled up a chair and sat in front of them, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He retrieved a photograph of a young girl, about ten or twelve, showing the paper to Chloe and Max.

"Is this your sister?" Max asked, taking the photo and examining the girl. There were clear similarities, such as their piercing blue eyes and stern faces. It almost made Max laugh, seeing such a young girl with such a serious expression on her face.

Piotr nodded. "When first I came to America, I worried that my being away would be too difficult for her. We lost parents only three months earlier, and Russia is not safest country for ten-year-old girl to be living. Needless to say I doubted my decision every day for two years, but when I learned that my sister would finally be able to join me here in America– I knew I made right decision.

"What I am trying to say is that– no matter what choice you make, how awful you may feel about your decision– there will always be a bright side, and you will know that what you did was the only thing you could have done in that situation. It just takes time to realize it." Piotr gave Max a reassuring pat on the knee before he stood. "Don't worry, everything always fits into place, in the end."

Max replayed Piotr's words over in her head, slowly beginning to appreciate them. She'd heard people say things like that before. 'it's not your fault' or 'you did what you could', but something about the way Piotr spoke of his sister– Max could tell that the man wasn't simply trying to make them feel better. It was obvious that Piotr genuinely believed in what he had said– and that comforted her.

Although what Piotr said didn't reach Chloe in the way that they had with her partner, she had no deep regrets about Acadia bay anyways. As far as she was concerned, everyone there got what they deserved. Despite the lack of understanding she had for the man's words, when she felt Max relax against her, she could feel that the tenseness which had been plaguing her for so long finally evaporate. Whatever had been said _clearly_ connected to max in some way, and for that she could be truly thankful. "Thank you, Piotr," Chloe smiled at the man while she gently pulled Max into her lap. "Really; thank you,"

Piotr smiled widely. "These thanks are not necessary– after these months you have lived here, you are already practically family to me. When my sister arrives, I think you will get along with her as if you were her family, too!" Max was about to say that she couldn't wait to meet his sister, but they were interrupted by Bobby bursting into the living room.

"Guys! Everyone needs to get to the Professor's office– now!" He exclaimed before rushing off towards another part of the mansion.

The three exchanged confused glances before Piotr took control of the situation. "Something is clearly wrong– we should find the professor immediately!"

Max and Chloe nodded, quickly standing from their spots on the couch to follow Peter down the halls towards the Professor's office. The two girls were confused, and Max tugged on Piotr's shirt as they marched through the school. "What's going on?"

Piotr glanced at the high-tech watch on his wrist before answering. "The professor has activated the alert beacon. This means something has happened, or something is likely going to happen. It is usually a common thing around here, but since it has not needed to be activated since before you arrived I can understand that you would be alarmed by this."

"So this is normal?" Chloe asked, catching a glimpse of the message that was being displayed across the watch. _High Alert._

"Most likely – but given circumstances as of late, I am not so sure."

"What circumstances?"

Piotr hesitated before he spoke again. "I should let Professor explain."

The three entered the Professor's office, which was already crowded with many people. Scott, Rogue, Jean, Kitty, Kurt and Jubilee squeezed in to make room for the new arrivals. Logan and Ororo were standing behind the Professor, just to either side of him.

"Ah, Piotr," Charles nodded towards the large man. "I'm glad to see you made it so quickly – there is an incident unfolding on Canal Street. An unidentified man has begun wreaking havoc amongst the humans."

"What do we know about this guy?" Scott asked.

"All that we can be certain of is that he possesses the ability to manipulate electricity."

Rogue spoke next. "Who are you sending on this assignment?"

"This time I want Scott, Jean, Kurt and Jubilee in the field. Ororo will accompany you. Is everything clear?"

The group nodded, and Charles dismissed them. The selected X-Men disappeared from the room to prepare for the mission.

Before anyone else was able to leave, Rogue spoke again. "Excuse me, Professor, but if you already knew which students you were sending out, why did you call the rest of us here? Especially Max and Chloe?" She looked over to where the two were standing. "Max's training is far from advanced enough to be letting her into the field, and Chloe isn't even an X-Men. Why were they brought to this briefing?"

The professor clasped his hands together and leaned forward in his wheelchair. "I did not simply summon the occupants of the room to issue instructions; I asked you all here to issue a _warning_."

The students all traded anxious looks at the Professor's words. "What do you mean?" Kitty's frown showed her concern.

The Professor gave a sigh before looking over his shoulder at Logan. "Perhaps you would care to explain, Logan?"

He gave a gruff nod before stepping around the front of the desk and leaning back against it. "This morning I came across something in the paper that just spelt bad news; there a rumors of a _mutant hunter_ going around New York."

"Does this hunter have known connection to the man on Canal Street?" Colossus voiced, to which Logan shook his head.

"As far as we can tell they are separate issues."

Chloe was the next to speak up, prompted to ask something when she had felt Max nervously squeeze her hand. "There has to be something besides the paper, right? I mean, you wouldn't be telling us this if it was only a rumor."

Logan reluctantly continued. "Charles and I checked with a few of our contacts in the sewers just to be sure; there have been disappearances that can't be fully explained. All that I'm going to say is that we have good reason to be cautious– even if these are only rumors."

The others nodded to this. If ever there was a place that would interest a mutant hunter, the X Mansion would be it.

"Given the circumstances, I advise all of you to keep an eye out for anything that may give us reason to worry. Other than that, I expect all of you to return to your normal routine until the matter is resolved." The Professor explained. With that, he dismissed the remaining students, who obediently returned to their business– even though they were all concerned with this new information


	8. Chapter 8

The sun was low against the New York skyline when Jubilee, Scott, Jean, and Kurt stepped out of the school van, uncomfortably adjusting their uniforms underneath their casual clothes. Ororo was still sitting behind the driver seat when she called out to them.

"I'm going to find a place to park that is out of the way– be careful until I get back, alright?"

"Don't worry, Storm," Scott replied, closing his eyes as he replaced his red sunglasses with his combat visor. "The professor wouldn't have assigned us if he thought we were going to be reckless.

"Yeah– I mean it's not like we're going head-to-head against a crazy guy shooting lighting out of his hands or anything." Jubilee grinned childishly, only to receive a blow to the ribs by Jean's Elbow.

"Scott's right, Storm," The redhead added. "We can handle it."

Ororo nodded reluctantly before pulling away, after which Kurt gave Jubilee a whack up the head. "Are you trying to make Ororo worry?"

"I was only joking!"

"Alright you two, settle down," Scott ordered as they rounded a corner, stepping onto Canal Street. They were all prepared to barge head on into combat, but were surprised to see only the aftermath. The street was filled with police, already busying themselves by tending to the civilians.

"What happened here?" Jean asked one of the officers as they passed by.

"Some mania came out of nowhere and just starting blowing things up!" She exclaimed. "He disappeared just as fast as he came; we have no idea where he went." The officer rushed away to tend to a group of shocked witnesses.

"Well what now?" Jubilee asked.

"I'll contact Ororo, see what she thinks. The rest of you should keep an eye out until we hear back." Scott began speaking into the intercom attached to his wrist.

The others spread out, looking for anything suspicious as they moved across the street, lending aid to any of the injured that they came across. It was times like these when Kurt was thankful for the inhibitor watch that concealed his usual features. His furry blue self would cause a plethora of problems in the busy New York streets. "Did you see anything out of the ordinary?" He asked when the group came together again. This time Ororo was with them

"Nothing," Kurt replied.

"This is very odd," Storm replied. "For such a random attack to be over so quickly– I'll have to inform the professor. In the meantime, there is nothing we can do here; return to the school. Scott, you take the van."

"Are you staying here?" He asked.

Yes," The white haired woman nodded. "I'm going to stay out in case the aggressor shows himself again."

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay?"

"There is no need, child, I am more than capable of handling myself."

"Alright Storm, take care,"

The students waved goodbye to their instructor as they made their way towards the van, still wondering about the odd occurrence that had just taken place.

"Fuck, max!" Chloe laughed, clutching her stomach as he struggled to catch her breath. "You nearly hit the ceiling!"

Max was also trying to catch her breath, but not from laughter. Just moments ago, she had been rounding the corner to the dining room when Chloe suddenly jumped out, shouting " _Yahoo!_ ". The result was a very, very startled shriek from max as she tumbled backwards onto the wood floor.

"Chloe!" Max gasped, feeling her heart racing as she clutched her chest. "That was _not_ funny!"

"Oh?" Chloe smirked, helping her girlfriend to her feet. "Then how come you're smiling now?"

Max swatted Chloe on the arm. "Just so that you don't feel bad about scaring me," the two girls exchanged laughter as they entered dining room together.

"Hey, hey, hey," Came the familiar voice of one of their fellow students. "What's all this commotion?" Kitty seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Just scaring the shit out Max," Chloe grinned widely as she slipped her arm around Max's waist.

"Why is it that you sound _way_ to proud of yourself?" Max grumbled, which made the others laugh.

"Come on, some of the others were just about to play a game!" Clapped loudly, obviously excited. Chloe was a little concerned as to what kind of game it musts be to have kitty so riled up.

"Okay, now I'm worried…" Chloe objected, yet followed anyways due to max tugging her along after Kitty.

The three girls entered the dining room to see Bobby and Rogue sitting at one of the tables, a boy that Max and Chloe did not recognize sitting with them. Although he was unfamiliar to the two of them, Kitty seemed to know him.

"Oh, hey Forge," She waved to the Hispanic boy as she sat down across from bobby. "Isn't this, like, the first time you've left the lower levels in months?" Max and Chloe sat themselves opposite of rogue and the boy, Forge.

The boy grinned widely. "yes, but with good reason! I've been experimenting with a piece of technology I developed recently; if I'm correct, I may be able to design a mass displacement relay by utilizing samples of Kirk's X-gene!"

Chloe gave Rogue a confused look unable to register what had just been said, despite how the others seemed to understand Forge's words completely. In the time that she had been at the mansion, she had come to learn that the level of education present was much higher than she had ever received. Everyone had enhanced intelligence from their mutation, or were just incredibly smart to begin with. Chloe, on the other hand, had begun to suffer poor grades in the recent years due to the attitude she had developed at Blackwell. Of course, having never returned to school after her expulsion didn't help either.

"Anyone care to repeat that in 'dumb speak'?" She asked.

"He means teleportation," It didn't surprise Chloe that Max understood what Forge had said. She was smart, after all, and had immediately jumped at the chance to learn all that she could. That being said, Chloe had begun to notice that her girlfriend hadn't been doing much photography lately. As a matter of fact, she couldn't recall Max having taken a single picture since they arrived here. It was clear that there were more pressing matters at hand, what with learning to use her powers and all, but it was surprising that she hadn't spoken about it either. Usually photography would always be on her mind.

Chloe's thoughts were disrupted by forge speaking again. "How is my inhibitor working for you?" He asked.

"Well, I've been able to use my abilities without destroying an entire town," She joked, which earned a few strange looks from her friends– and a concerned glance from Chloe. Max realized what she had said and tried to change the subject– she hadn't told anyone about what she had done in Arcadia bay. Besides Chloe and herself, only Logan, Storm and the Professor knew. "So you made the bracelet?"

"Not the _bracelet,_ no," Came the reply. "But I did design the inner workings– Beast was the one who calibrated it to your DNA."

"I didn't know Mr. McCoy was at the mansion," Max hadn't seen the furry blue man since he had drawn her blood on the first day she had arrived. She thought he had left to conduct research in Europe for a few months.

"He's not," Rogue explained, politely entering the conversation, that clearly had Chloe confused. "I helped the Professor send the results of your bloodwork to him through the school's computer. He's still in Europe, he just sent Forge the proper equation for calibrating the bracelet.

Max, Rogue and Forge delved deeper into their conversation, discussing in great depth the functionality of the inhibitor chip. Chloe on the other hand, was trying to get kitty to calm down, as the younger girl was obnoxiously complaining about how they should all be playing _Truth or Dare_ rather than discussing science.

"Forget this," Kitty pouted, crossing her arms in disappointment.

Chloe laughed and stood. "Well, why don't we play a card game? I'll get the cards." The others nodded in agreeance, and Chloe set off in search of a deck of cards, giving a wave to Max as she left the room

Max Dillon was never one for subtlety, as he had just shown by blowing a hole in one of walls of the old mansion. After all, he had only been told to retrieve the desired technology; not once had the scientist– whose name Max still did not know– specify that there was any need to be stealthy. This method would be much less difficult. Get in, grab the device, get out– and destroy anyone who got in his way. Unfortunately, the man had not been expecting anything along the lines of what he found.

As the wall crumbled to the floor the intruder found himself face to face with a group of kids. Not one of them looked older than twenty, and they all looked at him – dumbfounded by the man suddenly blasting his way into… their living room? When Dillon was told to steal technology, he had expected this place to be a high-security facility, not some dormitory.

"Uh, just stay where you are and you won't need to get hurt!" Max barked at the youth, marching through the rubble as he tried to pass them. When he neared the table where they were sitting, they all jumped to their feet in a panic. What happened next was also something that Dillon had by no means been expecting. One of the kids– a boy who looked even younger than the rest– raised his hands in Max's direction. As the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, a spear of ice whizzed through the air in his direction, and he instinctively fired a bolt of electricity in response. The electricity sliced through the ice, which shattered into millions of pieces, and continued to strike the boy in the chest, sending him tumbling head over heels until he slumped against the far wall. Several of the others were already in a defensive stance. Dillon's enhanced senses pushed him to a preemptive action, and he blasted the floor with a powerful current, which coursed through all of their bodies, throwing them off their feet and rendering them unconscious immediately.

"Jesus, what's with those kids?" he grumbled to himself as he made his way deeper into the mansion. He paused for a moment, thinking about how he himself was no longer ordinary, and decided that he would have to have a chat with the good doctor when he returned.

Peter Parker scrambled up the side of the mansion, looking for a safe way inside of the old building. To anyone that might be looking on from any neighboring properties it would look as if he were attempting to break and enter. Of course in hindsight, he noted that the blue and red spandex suit wasn't the smartest choice for running on one of his "stealth mission". For the most part he had been able to remain out of sight as he tailed the man who had blasted craters into Canal Street by tailing him on his bicycle. Normally his spider-suit would only draw the attention of onlookers from the street below, especially considering the circumstances, as his oh-so adoring fans already had their eyes glued to the sky in anticipation. It wasn't until the man entered the rural outlying neighborhoods that Peter stopped to change into his proper crime-fighting gear. At this point Peter wagered that it would be far worse if he were forced to engage the man without his mask on than to risk being spotted by a few nosy passersby.

This was where peter found himself, perched high on one of the mansion's brick walls. Below him, the man paced back and forth, oblivious to Peter's presence, who was skilled at remaining undetected by super humans. His agility and swiftness were key in this ability.

The man stopped pacing, only to place his hands on the wall. Peter's senses went crazy, and he felt the bricks beneath him pulsate with energy. The wall shattered underneath the man's hands as he forced his way into the mansion. In an instant, Peter jumped into action, dropping to the ground where the man had just been standing. When he stood, he saw the man marching past several unconscious figures. In an impulsive decision, Peter spoke, alerting the man to his presence.

"Excuse me, Sir, I'm afraid this area is for employees only." He said sarcastically.

The man turned, his face wrinkled in frustration. "This day just keeps getting worse!"


	9. Chapter 9

Logan, who had been lying in his room, sharpening his hunting knife, was on his feet and dashing out of his room and down the corridor before he had even felt the school shake. The scent of ozone had hung in the air, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, as if a storm was coming. Usually he would get this sensation whenever storm was present, but there were two things significantly different from when it was caused by Ororo.

Firstly, when Logan picked up on these sensations, he was alarmed when his nostrils picked up the scent of two unfamiliar people. He would often catch the smells of people and vehicles passing by, but these scents were alarmingly close by – far within the school grounds. In addition, the feeling of a coming storm was far stronger than that would emanate from Ororo, even when she was conjuring a lightning strike.

That being said, the moment Logan rounded the corner of the hall, reaching the top of the grand staircase, he felt the school shudder. To a majority of the mansion, this would have gone unnoticed, but Logan's ken senses easily detected the tremors, and from which direction they came as they passed underfoot. Clambering down the staircase, Logan nearly crashed into someone who had rounded a corner at the bottom, and instinctively drew his claws in an offensive, poised to attack.

"Shit! What the fuck is your problem!"

"Dammit kid! watch where you're going!" Logan growled at the startled blue-haired girl in front of him, lowering his claws.

"I should say the same to you!" Chloe protested before focusing on the metal claws protruding from between the man's knuckles. "Shit, those things are fucking badass! Are they real?"

"Take a guess," Logan grumbled, stepping past her as he raised his claws once more, making his way towards the living room; the source of the tremors.

"Where the hell are you going with those things?" Chloe asked, jogging after him to keep up with his fast pace.

"Nothing that concerns you," Logan stopped dead, turning around to face the girl. He lowered his stance and retracted his claws, putting one of his hands on her shoulder. "Listen kid, just stay put, alright? Or better yet– go to your room!"

Chloe was startled, the tone that Logan had just used was unbelievable stern, even for Logan. "Alright, alright, whatever the hell it is, count me out, okay? Just let grab Max and the others."

"Where are they?"

"They're in the living room," Chloe explained, holding up a deck of cards. "We were gonna play."

"Shit." Logan turned on his heels, bolting down the hall towards the living room, leaving Chloe confused as she watched him run off.

The moment he entered the living room, he saw two figures struggling amongst the rubble. In a split second one of the figures fired a stream of some material from his wrists, which clung to the other figure. Swinging the opponent around like a yo-yo, the first figure threw the second– straight into Logan.

"Sorry about that!" the first figure shouted, his voice muffle be the bright red and blue mask that he wore, which matched the rest of his outfit.

"Dammit! Who they hell are you two!" Logan shouted, shoving the second man off of him, who stood and immediately began glowing with electricity.

"Well, shit," Logan grumbled to himself, standing up. "I guess I know who _one_ of you are…"

"hey!" the red and blue man said. "I'm a friend– really!" he held his arms up in an innocent gesture.

As if to prove this statement, the electric man fired bolts at the others. Logan was thrown to the ground once again, this time noticing the unconscious bodies of several of the students laying amongst the rubble. As he and the stranger stood to their feet, facing their foe, Logan spoke to his new ally. "Alright, pal, if you really are as friendly as you say, then start getting these kids to safety!"

"And what are you going to do?" Came the man's reply.

Logan drew his claws, brandishing them menacingly, his voice a mere growl. "Guess,"

Upon seeing the claws, the man shrugged and scurried off to crouch beside of one of the students, which happened to be Kitty. He started scooping her up in his arms and shuffled out of the fray as she slowly gained consciousness, drowsily mumbling as she focused on the red and blue mask.

"You're... you're Spider-Man…"

"What gave it away?" He replied cheekily. "Was it the tights?"

As the man pulled Kitty out of the way, Logan returned his full attention to the man standing across from him. "Alright, bub, you and me!"

"Nice claws," The man grinned. "What are they made of? Metal?" His hands started glowing with blue electricity, and Logan swallowed somberly.

 _This is gonna hurt in the morning…_ he thought to himself, before charging the man head on. In an instant Logan's entire body was coursing with blinding pain electricity surged through him, using his Adamantium bones as the perfect conductor. He continued to step towards the man, swinging his claws wildly in his direction, but he was slow from the pain as his bones became white hot, burning him inside out. The electric man dodged each of his swipes, one after the other, shocking Logan with a new blast of electricity after each attempt. The man laughed loudly, cracking his knuckles as Logan stumbled to his knees, fighting to regain his footing.

"You may be one _tough_ bastard," The man grinned kicking Logan down. "But it seems even you can only take so much."

He drew his arm back with his fingers clenched in a fist poised high as electricity began to gather inside the man's body. Just as he was about to bring his charged fist down upon a still weak Logan, a sharp shout caught his attention. Looking up from his kneeling foe, the man realized that the room had been clear of the unconscious students. A split second later, he focused on the direction from which the voice came, only to catch a glimpse of something blue as a heavy object made contact with his face, hard. As he stumbled backwards, Logan seized his chance. Roaring in anger, his vision was blinded by both Pain and rage as he swung his arms wildly in the direction of his attacker.

At first, the was a rush of satisfaction as Logan felt his claws meet some resistance, which would be the body of the man whom he was fighting, but as the strokes of his arms followed through, leaving the man's body, he felt his claws once again meet the resistance of a body.

Chloe could hear the shouting from where she stood in the hallway. Only moments before, Logan had run down the hall with an intense look on his face, leaving her there in her confusion. Unfortunately, she saw him burst through the door that led to the living room, and she felt as though she were about to vomit.

 _'Max!'_ she thought, immediately chasing down the hall after Logan. She skidded to an abrupt halt in front of the door, twisting the handle violently as she forced her way into the room. Only the sight before her stopped her movement once again.

A slender figure in a blue and red skin-tight suit had his arms full with Rogue and max, carrying both of them under his arms as he made his way to a corner of the room. Chloe also noticed the furious battle occurring near the center of the room, as Logan swung his claws sluggishly at an unfamiliar man, whose eyes glowed with electricity as sparks arched from his fingertips.

Once she had gotten over the initial surprise of the situation she hurried over to the figure in the spandex. "Are you okay?" she asked Max, seeing her eyes slowly fluttering open. She had to shout to be heard of the battle going on behind them.

"I'm fine… just dizzy…" came her reply. "What's going on?"

"Hell if I know!"

The man in the spandex seemed just to have noticed Chloe, as he did a double take upon seeing her. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"Shut it!" Chloe snapped at the strangely dressed stranger, returning her attention to Max. "Are you hurt at all?"

"I'm fine, Chloe," Max mumbled. She turned her head in the direction of the battle. "Shit, Logan is in trouble."

"Get her to safety, got it?" Chloe demanded of the stranger before turning towards the battle.

"wait! That is _not_ a good idea!" he started to set the two girls down frantically as chloe neared the fray. "Do you hear me?" He sat max down against the wall. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

Too late. While the stranger was tangled up amongst the two girls, Chloe picked up a broken table leg, marched up beside the electric man, and swung the leg at his face with all of her might. She grinned when she saw clutch his face, his front teeth a distant memory, and even felt glad when she saw cut the guy open. It wasn't until Logan's swipe was finished that she realized something was wrong.

"Chloe!" she heard Logan's voice, but she didn't look up. Her eyes were fixed on her stomach– or more precisely, at the floor, where a majority of her intestines were laying, having been accidentally cut out of her. She stumbled backwards– her head spinning– into Logan's arms, who had reached out to grab her.

"Dammit, girl," he gritted his teeth, trying to scoop her insides back up to keep them from getting tangled in her legs. "What the hell where you thinking!" He didn't get an answer, as Chloe grasped for words only to whimper quietly.

Logan twisted around, pointing his finger at the man in spandex, who was running up towards them now that he was no longer carrying two wounded girls. "You, get a doctor–now!" He turned back to Chloe as the man in spandex hurried off.

"J-just… trying to help…" Chloe managed to say, her voice weak.

"I know, kid," Logan sighed, keeping his hands on her stomach to slow the bleeding. "I know…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Here we are at last, the tenth chapter! I deeply apologize for the nearly two month wait on this one, and for such a short chapter– but I am hoping to upload at a normal rate once again. That said, enjoy!**

Max Dillon slowly came to, blinked his eyes as a bright light above him shone in his face. He sat up, surprised to find that he was not restrained. Looking down, he pulled up his shirt to reveal three long cuts, stitched shut.

"Gah, fuck!" he winced, his injuries sending pain flaring through his gut. He remembered getting captured, but he had passed out from his wound shortly after. After all the trouble he had caused, he had been expecting to be chained to a wall. Of course he would be able to escape no matter what prison they held him in. he cracked his knuckles, examining the pristine white room around him; everything from the pillows on the bed to the door were a blinding white.

 _Too bad I'm about to scorch it all._ Dillon thought to himself smugly as he drew his hand back. He thrust his arm in the direction of the door to blast it down– but nothing happened. Thoroughly confused, he attempted to destroy the door once again, only to witness the same result. "No… No! No!" He cursed loudly, punching the wall in rage. "It can't be gone: that bastard scientist _lied_ to me." He threw another punch at the wall.

"Ah, Mr. Dillon," A voice spoke through a speaker in the ceiling. "I'm glad that you have awoken so soon. I see you've discovered that your powers are no longer present, but I would like to assure you that they _can_ be returned."

"Who the hell are you?" Dillon snapped sourly. "You expect me to believe you'd just give my powers back?"

"Of course not." The voice replied. "I want you to see something; If you would be so kind as to direct your attention to your left wrist."

Dillon instinctively looked at his wrist. Examining it closely he noticing something he hadn't before. Just below the skin he could see and oval shaped object, no larger than an apple seed, which let out a gentle blue pulse in time with his heartbeat. "What is this thing?"

"An inhibitor chip. Many of my students utilize them in order to safely interact with others. Although it is clear that you are no mutant, it surprisingly has an equal effect on you."

"How the hell do I get it out?"

"You don't. the only way to regain your powers is through surgical removal of the chip by our very own doctor. Doing so by any other means could quite possibly negate your powers for good. If you want it out, I suggest you behave yourself." The voice paused for a moment. "Why don't you take a walk around the campus, see what you think of the school."

There was a loud click as the door unlocked and gently swung open, which at first startled him, but Dillon quickly gathered his senses and exited the room. There was a long hallway that stretched out in front of him, and at the end of it a door slid open, revealing the obvious interior of an elevator. Dillon hesitantly walked down the hall and stepped into the elevator, staring at the series of buttons, strangely labeled things like "med bay" or "Cerebro". The strangest of them all was the floor represented by a bright red, triangular button labelled "Danger Room". As he was searching through the buttons, one lit up, drawing Dillon's attention to it. The button, which had previously been hidden amongst the sea of buttons, was labeled "Main Floor". He pressed it and the elevator started moving upwards.

Logan was, to put it simply, pissed. Over his time at the school, he had become a sort of a father figure to the students. Sure, it was gruff, often grumpy figure, but the students still looked up to him. Despite what he would have thought impossible only ten years ago, he enjoyed being a role model, and took his job of ensuring the student's safety very seriously. Of course his real job at the school was to teach history, but he was still getting used to the thought of actually teaching.

He was very protective over the students, and when he had realized that _he_ was responsible for wounding one of them, he was mortified. The normally stone cold Wolverine was wrought with regret. Why had he been so careless? Why hadn't he been able to stop the intruder sooner? The fact that it was Chloe only increased his dread. The girl had only been attending the school for a few months and wasn't even a mutant, yet she had the courage to confront a superhuman.

The confrontation had been a foolish idea and had nearly gotten her killed, but that was something Logan could relate to. Brash decisions were his strong suit, and he was no stranger to brushes with death, even with his regenerative powers to aid him. That said, Logan was completely opposed to letting the intruder roam free around the campus, but the Professor's decision was final.

The burly man was waiting in the main foyer as the elevator doors that sat next to the staircase dinged and opened, revealing a bandaged figure. Logan frowned and marched toward the young man from where he had been leaning against the wall. As he neared the man, he could tell that he was indeed, very young. When they had battled, Logan had been too preoccupied by his pain to pay attention to any details such as this.

"You've got to be kidding!" the young man groaned upon seeing Logan. "Why you still here? You live here or something?"

"Yeah, something like that." Logan growled.

"now Logan," The professor spoke, having approached them without either of them noticing, as they were too busy staring each other down. "I know that we all started on quite a poor note, but I believe that we can make the best of this situation."

"Yeah, I heard you the first damn time. But how am I supposed to let this guy just waltz around the mansion after what he did?"

"His powers are being contained Logan; he's basically human now." Charles spoke at first, but regretted his words when he saw the grimace on Logan's face.

"Humans have done far worse things than any mutant, Charles. I'm a testament to that." Logan nearly spat those last words out as he turned on his heel and marched away from the professor and Max Dillon.

"Where is he running off to?" Dillon asked the professor.

Logan, who easily heard the question shouted over his shoulder. "None of your damn business!"

* * *

Chloe gasped suddenly, her eyes snapping open as she sat up abruptly, only to be knocked back down by the excruciating pain in her stomach. Her vision went black for a moment due to the pain, and there was only one word she was able to get out. "Fuck!"

"Chloe!" A familiar voice gasped. There was a vigorous scuffle of feet and the sound of someone tripping over medical equipment, but then there was a hand clasping her own firmly. Chloe felt something wet dripping onto her forearm. Tears. "Max...?" She breathed, slowly raising her head as her vision cleared. Sure enough, there the small gold was, kneeling beside her bed, wiping away the flow of tears. "I was so worried... so scared!" Max moved to kiss the girl's forehead, squeezing her hand. "I'm glad you're awake!"

The first words that came to Chloe's lips were "Fuck, that was stupid… Can you help me sit up?"

"Do you remember what happened?" Max asked, helping her girlfriend sit herself up in bed.

"I remember jumping into the middle of the shit storm, hitting that asshole in the head with a table leg…" She went quiet for a moment, pulling up her shirt to look at the bandages around her waist. "Is Logan okay?" She asked.

"Logan is fine. He was really worried about you though; he feels really guilty that you got hurt." Max replied, sitting on the edge of Chloe's bed. "He blames himself for what happened."

"That's hella lame," Chloe winced, trying to make herself comfortable. "It was my own fucking fault for jumping into the middle of a mutant battle." She paused before looking at Max's tear streaked face. "Are you holding up okay, Max?"

"Yeah…" She sniffed, wiping away her tears. "I was just _so_ fucking worried!" she broke down and carefully hugged her girlfriend as to not bump her injuries as she let her tears fall out uncontrolled.

"Hey, hey, It's okay, Max" she kissed the top of her girlfriend's head to comfort her. "I'm here, everything is going to be ok."

"Do you promise?" Max sniffed. She felt miserable that _she_ was a mutant, with unbelievable powers and yet it was Chloe who always managed to be so strong.

Chloe tilted max's chin up, kissing her gently. "Yeah, I promise."


	11. Chapter 11

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Max sat on a couch in the newly repaired living room gently twisting strands of Chloe's faded blue hair– whose head laid on her lap– between her fingertips as she read from an open book, which she held with her free hand.

"They spoke no more of the small news of the Shire far away, nor of the dark shadows and perils that encompassed them, but of the fair things they had seen in the world together, of the Elves, of the stars, of trees, and the gentle fall of the bright year in the woods.

"It seemed to him that he had stepped over a bridge of time into a corner of the Elder Days, and was now walking in a world that was no more. In Rivendell there was memory of ancient things; in Lórien the ancient things still lived on in the waking world…on the land of Lórien no shadow lay." Chloe listened intently to Max – her words and her voice– as she spoke gently, yet with an enthusiastic tone.

It was then that Beast stuck his head into the living room, clearing his throat. "Chloe, it's time to change your bandages." He said, looking at the two girls. "I showed Max how, so she can help you with it from now on, but I will still need to take a look at your wounds twice a week to make sure that they're healing properly."

"Got it, Doc!" Chloe chirped, waving her hand dismissively at him from over the back of the couch. When Max saw the blue furred mutant's stern look she stepped in. "Don't worry, Mr. McCoy," She said. "I'll take care of her."

"I'm sure you will," He said with a warm smile before leaving the room. "Then I leave her in your care, Miss Caulfield!"

Chloe let out a sigh, crossing her arms carefully over her stomach. "Do we have to do it now?"

"We should probably change them now," Max reasoned, lifting up Chloe's shirt to examine her bandages, seeing fresh blood soaked through the cloth. " _And_ it looks like you've ripped one of your stitches."

"Shit, really?" Chloe slipped her hand under her shirt to check herself, feeling the warm blood soaking through her bandages. _Dammit,_ she thought, _this is what I get for moving around too much_.

"C'mon, let's get you down to the infirmary and patch you up." Max carefully stood, trying not to bump Chloe to much as she did, then extended her arms out to the girl. "Ok, try to keep your stomach and back straight as I pull you up," she said, grasping the other girl's hands in her own. "Hopefully we can avoid ripping any more stitches."

Chloe allowed herself to be helped up by her girlfriend, groaning as her stomach started to ache as she moved. "Does this mean Beast is gonna have to get involved again?'

"Chloe, you ripped your stitches, they need to be replaced before you bleed _all over_ the place."

"Fine, fine," Chloe groaned, slipping her arm around Max's shoulders for support. "I don't like doctors." She grumbled as they shuffled down the hall to the elevator.

"Hey," Max nudged her gently as she pushed the elevator button. "At least you're getting to see what's in the basement, right?" She grinned at Chloe, knowing full well that it had been driving her crazy.

The blue haired girl thought about it for a moment before she nodded in agreement. "I _was_ unconscious when I was down there for the first time. Didn't get to see anything cool."

"Exactly," max laughed. "See? These are the perks of going to the doctor."

"I still don't like doctors…"

The elevator doors opened, revealing Max Dillon and Logan standing in the car. "Hey Logan, Max," The Caulfield Max greeted the two. It had been a week since the school had been attacked by Dillon, and although Max had been furious at him for causing Chloe to come to harm, she was slowly beginning to forgive him especially since Chloe didn't seem to be holding it against him. And the new addition to the X-Mansion seemed to be friendly as well, despite having blown up the mansion's living room.

"Where are you two headed?" Logan asked.

"I'm taking Chloe down to the infirmary," Max explained. "Turns out she pulled a stitch."

"Alright," Logan said, stepping out of the elevator. "C'mon, Dillon,"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Dillon grumbled. Even after a week it was clear that he and Logan did not get along _at all_ , which was a shame since the Professor wanted Logan to keep an eye on the young man for the first few weeks.

"Seeya later," Chloe waved with her free hand as they entered the elevator. Max pushed the button labelled _infirmary_ , and the elevator smoothly began to lower itself down into the depths of the school's underbelly.

* * *

"I'm glad to see that you decided to come back, Mr. Parker," the professor said to the teenaged boy that sat across from him on the other side of the ornate, carved desk.

"Pardon?" Peter shifted nervously in his seat, nervous. "I've never been here before; I was just hoping to ask a few questions for my school paper."

"Is that so?" the professor arched his eyebrow quizzically, intertwining his fingers atop his desk. "Well, in regards to your questions, I'm afraid that I cannot disclose any information about this school without the explicit permission of each of my student's parents. We simply must resort to secrecy due to certain needs of our students. Now, as for _your_ secret, I can assure you that it will be kept quite safe within these walls."

Peter chewed the inside of his cheek as he listened to the Professor speak. The bald mean scooted his electric wheelchair out from behind the desk and moved around it towards the door, gesturing to the boy to follow. "How long has it been since you first gained your powers?"

"So you know he's me?" Peter sighed, to which the Professor gave a nod. "It's been about a month since I first gained my powers." He explained.

"I see, but something tells me that you, like our new friend, Mr. Dillon, aren't an ordinary mutant, if one at all." The Professor scratched his chin as he mused, rolling down the halls of the school with Peter beside him. "So how did you come to these abilities?"

I was… Bitten by a radioactive spider– and I know how it sounds, but c'mon after that incident in Oregon with the freak snow, eclipse, double moons _and_ one the largest hurricane's in years recorded in the US, is something as simple as this so hard to believe?"

Xavier cocked his brow at this statement. "Not at all Peter, I believe you completely… You spoke of Oregon, are you referring to the hurricane that destroyed Arcadia Bay?"

"Of course!" Peter nodded. "why do you ask?"

"I'm curious as to what you know about the strange events in Arcadia, leading up to its destruction,"

"I know tons," Peter replied. "I wrote an article about it in the school paper, I had to do crazy amounts of research."

"Your quite the scientist, aren't you Peter?" The professor smiled warmly. "I have a feeling that you would get along well here, if you ever started attending. Does that interest you?"

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Xavier, but I can't just tell my Aunt 'oh hey, by the way, I'm attending mutant high now," Peter replied, clearly disappointed that he must turn down the offer.

"Actually," The professor smiled. "I've already made contact with your Aunt. She thought that such a prestigious school as this would be an excellent opportunity for you to finish your last year of high school and beyond. You're already prepared to enroll, if you decide you would like to do so."

Peter struggled to form words for a moment before simply saying, "Can I pack my things first?"

"Of course, I'll have one of my colleagues drive you home, as to avoid any suspicious as, let's be frank, your preferred method of transportation is far from subtle."

"There is one thing I'd like to know, Mr. Xavier."

"Please, call me the Professor, that's what I am, after all,"

"Sorry, Professor, but I need to ask you," Peter began, taking a breath. "The storm that destroyed Arcadia, it was caused by one of your students, wasn't it?"

The professor hesitated before he finally spoke. "You are a clever young man, but I ask that you keep this between us, understand? None of the other students know."

"I understand, Professor, but how do you know that the same thing isn't going to happen again? This time here, in New York?"

"We have taken precautions, Peter, and I work with _all_ my students to ensure that they learn to control their powers. The situation is under control."

Peter didn't seem so sure, but he didn't push any further. "Alright, well, I'd better go home and get my bags then…"

* * *

Kitty was ecstatic when she heard that Spider-Man was going to be attending the mansion. Finally, she would be able to put an actual face and name to the spectacular hero that swung in to save innocent people at the most unlikely of times. She grinned widely to herself and clutched her pillow to her chest. She understood that it was ridiculous to have a crush on someone whose face she had never even seen before, but if someone was as incredible as he was, he just had to be even better in person, right?

It was then when Kitty heard a knock on her bedroom door. Standing, she walked around her bed and to the door, swinging it open. "Oh, hey Rogue,"

"Hi Kitty," Rogue greeted her younger friend. "Have you seen Max?"

"Um, which Max?" Kitty laughed, leaning against the doorway.

"Max _Caulfield_ ," Rogue specified. "So, have you seen her?"

"Last I saw her; she was in the same place she's been every morning for the past week." Kitty explained. "Reading to Chloe in the living room."

"Okay, thanks Kitty," Rogue waved before heading off down the hall.

"You're welcome!" Kitty chirped cheerfully after her as she shut the door, falling gently back into her bed, letting out a relaxed sigh. Things had definitely been stressful around lately, ever since Dillon had come into the Mansion, but it was starting to settle down again. Finally.


	12. Chapter 12

Rogue didn't find Max in the living room, but she had bumped into Logan and Dillon. Upon asking Logan, Rogue learned that Max had taken Chloe down to the infirmary. She thanked Logan and made her way down the elevator, stepping out on the infirmary's floor. Pushing through the glass double doors, she found Max and Chloe right where Logan said they would be, in addition to beast, who was also present. Chloe was lying flat on an examination table, her hands gripping Max's as Beast re-stitched her wounds together.

"Fuck, this hurts way more than when you first stitched me up!" Chloe growled, gritting her teeth and squeezing Max's hand tighter.

"I'm sorry Chloe, but perhaps if you _stayed still_ I would be able to make this less painful." Beast replied, tying off the current stitch before moving onto the next.

"You were also pretty high on anesthesia the first time, Chloe," Max added, to which Chloe chuckled.

"Feels like it's the only thing I've gotten high on in ages!" she sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Do you think there's a place I can get some grass around here?" she wondered aloud.

"Chloe, as far as I am concerned, marijuana is by far the _least_ harmful thing you have a habit of inhaling into your lungs," Beast said, not looking up from his work as he continued. "But when it comes to where you get your 'grass', I'm worried that you're not only bringing bad habits into the mansion, but putting yourself at risk as well. For instance; how do you know that you dealers aren't lacing what you buy?"

"Am I interrupting something?" Rogue asked, joining Max and Beast around Chloe.

"Nothing important," Chloe grumbled, earning a stern look from Beast.

"Miss Rogue, how can I help you?" Beast asked after giving Chloe a loo that said _we'll talk about this later_.

"Oh, I was looking for max, actually," she said, turning to face the girl. "Can I borrow you for a second?" she asked.

Max looked at Chloe, as if asking if she was okay with her leaving during the stitching process. "Go on," She smiled. "I'll come find you after I've finished having Hankey Mike stitch me up!"

"if you're sure," max said, letting go of Chloe's hand and walking out of the room with Rogue. As she left, she heard beast scolding her girlfriend.

"Chloe for the _thousandth_ time, its _Hank McCoy_!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, got it."

"She's seems to be back to her usual self, even though it's only been a few days." Rogue said as the two girls walked down the hall to the elevator. "That's a good sign,"

Max let out a stressed sigh, rubbing her face with her hands. "Chloe's tough, she'll pull through…"

"Is everything okay, Max?" Rogue asked, placing a gloved hand on the shorter girl's shoulder in a comforting manner. She hadn't known Max for very long, only a few months, but the girl was tougher than she let on. Rogue could tell by the look in her eyes. Her posture and attitude may suggest that she is a naïve, innocent teen, but her eyes gave her away. They were cold and dull, as if she had gone through hell to get where she was today, as if she had seen things that she could never forget. _Done_ things that she could never forget. She had only seen eyes like that on one other person. Needless to say, it surprised her to hear the girl's voice quiver like it had today.

"Yeah," Max nodded, pulling her hands away from her face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "I just… Chloe has no idea… nobody does but the professor."

Rogue was confused, and it clearly showed on her face. "What doesn't Chloe know?"

"I'm sorry, shouldn't talk about it,"

"Alright," Rogue nodded, she wasn't going to press the matter any further. "Anyways… that's why I came to get you; the professor wants to talk to you."

"Do you know what about? Max asked as they entered the elevator and rode it up.

"No, he didn't say, he just asked me to get you." Rogue explained.

"Well, I guess I'd better not keep him waiting."

Max sat in the Professor's office, in one of the cozy chair across from his desk. The professor sat across from her, and Logan stood to his left. The three observed each for a while before the Professor finally spoke.

"Max, I believe that it is time that I become fully honest with you." He said, clasping his hands together on top of his desk.

"What do you mean?" Max raised a quizzical eyebrow in his direction.

"When I sent Logan and Ororo to recruit you to the Mansion, you were under the impression that I had discovered you through Cerebro, that is… not quite the case."

Max was confused now, her heartbeat quickening, her breath became shaky. What was it the professor had been hiding? Was it bad?

"I first discovered of your abilities when Logan came to me one day, many, many months ago describing a strange phenomenon he experienced. He told me that would, for all intents and purposes, _rewind_ at seemingly random times. Occasionally, he would be sent back mere moments, while other times…"

"I got sent back years into the past." Logan concluded.

"At first, we had no explanation for these circumstances, but then Arcadia bay was hit by a storm that was clearly not natural. It was obvious that there was a mutant there, and when I used Cerebro, I found you. You see Max, you are the explanation."

Max's mind was running at a mile a minute, processing everything that the professor had said. "You're saying that every time I went back in time, Logan went too?"

The professor nodded. "Indeed, Max,"

"But how? Why Logan?"

Logan shared a look with the professor. "Are you going to tell her?" the Burly man asked.

The professor took a breath before he spoke again. "Last year, in another timeline" He began. "Logan was sent back in time to stop a chain events that would essentially cause the end of the world from ever occurring. He wants back decades to change the past, and present. I believe that when he returned, he held on to a part of his experience. Because you both share a bond with time, when you reverse, or even simply _slow_ time, Logan experiences it too."

Max was quite for a long time before she finally spoke. "that's incredible…"

"It truly is, Max, but there is one last thing you must know."

"What is it, Professor?"

"When I searched Arcadia bay with Cerebro, there was not only one mutant present in the town." He paused, inadvertently filling the entire room with tension so thick it could have been cut with a knife. "There were two.


End file.
